Not Unwelcome
by Alligates
Summary: Set directly after the events of the movie. Hermann leaves the celebrations to give himself some space, away from the loud people clapping him on the back, away from the happily drunken crowd, and, maybe, a bit of space away from Newt. Naturally, the moment he disappears, Newt goes after him. Minor angst ensues.


**Another tumblr drabble! Though this one is of one of my absolute favourite movies, so I'm rather more pleased with it.**

**Idea credited to loryisunabletosupinate on tumblr, characters to their respective owners. I own nothing but the order in which these words were put.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

They had closed the breach. The celebrations clamored all around them as they stood together in the middle of the room and they were laughing because they had _saved the world, man, we saved the world! _

Hermann smiled at his exuberant friend (was it a new concept to think of him as a friend? Or perhaps they'd just been friends all along). Newt's face was split by a wide grin as he looked around at the crowd that had formed around them. They stayed together for a good while, easily drinking in the other's presence as they answered questions and shook hands with the grateful personnel of the PPDC and generally just meandered through the throngs of happy people.

But it could not last. At some point amidst all the celebrating, Newton had wandered off with a group of already half-drunk people, leaving Hermann alone in virtually the middle of a very crowded, very _loud_ room.

Hermann slowly weaved his way into the hall, feeling a sudden need for a good amount of space between him and the crowd (and, maybe, a bit of space away from Newt as well). He went all the way back to his room, and somewhere along the way he had noticed his leg was simply _aching_, and he longed to rest—for a week, maybe.

Blowing out a great puff of air and shaking off the leftover adrenaline, he reached for the doorknob, only to be stopped by a clumsy hand gripping the back of his jacket. The leftover Drift connection enabled him to feel who it was before he turned around, but he could not help starting a little. He had thought to be alone.

"Hermann!" Newt said. "Where'd you go, dude? The party's just getting started!"

Hermann just sort of looked at him, and something crumbled a little inside him.

It must have shown in his face, because Newt's entire demeanour changed, softening to a level that should not have been possible for him.

"Hermann?"

Hermann was motionless, observing his friend, until he reached forwards to hold Newton's face in his hands. He looked at him, really _looked, _noticing the blood conspicuously stained in his eye, smeared on his face, the pallor of his skin beneath all that… it was too much. He thought back to when he had first found Newt, seizing on the floor, after his first Drift. He felt the same worry now, but amplified somehow. Maybe it was the neural connection, maybe it was something else.

Either way, his voice was choked with worry as he just barely got out, "Don't do that to me again."

Newt was frowning, but did not remove his head from the other's hold. "I'm—"

"I know that you're stupid and reckless and simply don't _care_, Newton, but _I do._ Don't do that—_ever again_. For me." Hermann's voice softened in a rare display of emotion. "Please."

Newton opened and closed his mouth a few times before answering, unconsciously placing his hands over Hermann's. "Is that why you left? Are you mad at me?"

"No, you imbecile," he said, the insult coming easily and without any heat. "No, I just—I need to process what happened, and what _didn't_." He did not need to elaborate.

"I'm sorry," Newt said softly, but he was wincing a bit. The hands covering Hermann's were tugging lightly and insistently.

It was then that Hermann noticed that his hands had been instinctively tightening their grip around Newton's face, and he released him at once.

Before he could even begin to apologize, Newton moved forwards and pressed his face into the crook of Hermann's neck, wrapping his short little arms around Hermann's torso.

Hermann did not return the hug, too surprised was he at the action. It had been a while since he had had a hug quite like this one; gentle yet firm, and delicate enough so as not to be squeezing, but still an encircling presence, and the great feeling of warmth that came with it. He did not know quite how to respond, at first.

And then Hermann sighed, resting his head atop Newt's, feeling fluffy tufts of hair tickling the underside of his chin.

The action was not unwelcome, he decided.

* * *

**Aaaaand there we go!**

**Thank you for reading!**


End file.
